Football season is quickly approaching, and teams have began to prepare for the upcoming year. The AFC could be a very competitive conference, but which teams have enough talent to be playoff contenders? My cousin Michael Philipkosky and I broke it all down in this episode of his podcast, the Master Plan.
The NFL off-season has been one of the craziest ever. Tom Brady left Bill Belichick and the Patriots. Instead he went to Tampa, building his own offense. This caused the biggest off-season QB carousel in a long time. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the NFL Draft virtual and canceled the NFL preseason. But despite the pandemic and all the unusual events, football is coming back. With or without fans attending the game, this NFL season will go on, and so will my weekly NFL pick’em posts. Each week, I’ll have my NFL picks on this website as well as some fantasy content on my fantasy football Instagram account, @bsmfantasyfootball. I think this could be one of the most competitive seasons in a while, and that will mean a lot of close games. Keep reading to see my predictions of them all. I’ll say one thing, we could see multiple games go to overtime this week alone.
As I said, there should be a lot of close games this week. This is not one of them. I expect the Bills to have a lot of success running the ball. The combo of Devin Singletary, Zack Moss, and running QB Josh Allen will just be too much for a Jets front seven that will be without LB C.J. Mosley. Allen will also rely on his new star WR Stefon Diggs in this one. QB Sam Darnold will struggle, as a strong Bills defense shuts down his banged up arsenal of weapons.
I think the 49ers are the better team here. But WRs Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk are recovering from injuries, leaving QB Jimmy Garoppolo with solely star TE George Kittle to rely on. The Cardinals defense will focus in on Kittle, making it difficult for Garoppolo’s offense to function. QB Kyler Murray won’t be that much better against a strong San Francisco D. But with WR DeAndre Hopkins in the mix, I think Arizona will put up enough points to pull off the upset this time around. The Niners will have a chance at revenge later this season after Garoppolo’s receivers heal up.
Thursday Night Football | I expect the Chiefs to come out on top in the end here. QB Patrick Mahomes’ offense is a dominant force and I doubt this weakening Texans D will be able to keep up. However, the Texans will make it close, as the duo of WR Brandin Cooks and WR Will Fuller should be able to outplay Kansas City’s secondary. I think they might even force OT. |
 | I think QB Cam Newton will rely on pass catching RB James White and slot WR Julian Edelman to beat out an improved, but still below average Dolphins defense. On the other hand, WR DeVante Parker and TE Mike Gesicki are no match for Stephon Gilmore and Devin McCourty. |
 | The Browns have a good front seven, but it won’t be enough to stop dual threat QB Lamar Jackson. I expect Kevin Stefanski to completely modify the Browns offense and that will allow them to make this competitive. However, in Baltimore I see them falling short. |
 | QB Gardner Minshew II is lacking surroundings. I expect WR D.J. Chark to have a good game thanks to their chemistry, but it’ll be tough against this improved Colts D. The Colts also have an improved run game behind an elite o-line that should dominate against a crumbling Jaguars defense. |
 | The Raiders do have an improving offense centered around RB Josh Jacobs and TE Darren Waller, and they will make it close against an unproven Panthers defense. But I expect RB Christian McCaffrey to run all over the Raiders D in this one. |
 | Washington’s defense is looking better than it has in a while, with a front seven led by rookie Chase Young and veteran Ryan Kerrigan, plus a secondary that includes CB Kendall Fuller and S Landon Collins. They will hold the Eagles to just 1 TD, but fall short due to anemic offense. |
 | The Vikings D is looking strong after adding DE Yannick Ngakoue, so I expect a strong Week 1 performance against Green Bay. RB Dalvin Cook will lead Minnesota to victory, but it will be close with natural slot WRs Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson rotating outside. |
 | The Lions won’t put up too many points as I expect the Bears D to improve upon last year. But the Bears QB troubles will cause them to fall short. I think QB Mitch Trubisky will have some success with RB Tarik Cohen and WR Allen Robinson, but be too inconsistent to finish the job. I have Detroit taking it in OT. |
 | This is definitely going to be a close one. But on the road, I have the Seahawks falling short. QB Matt Ryan will lean on his strong WR duo and RB Todd Gurley to lead Atlanta to victory in overtime. |
 | The Chargers secondary is looking strong, but the loss of S Derwin James hurts. I think QB Joe Burrow will capitalize on his connection with WR Tyler Boyd and find ways to beat out this strong Chargers D, pulling off the upset in his debut. The Chargers offense will show flashes of a strong performance but struggle overall with Tyrod Taylor at QB. |
 | QBs Tom Brady and Drew Brees face off twice this year. In this one, I’m expecting the Saints to squeeze by for a victory in a back and forth offensive shootout. WRs Michael Thomas, Mike Evans, and Chris Godwin will all get the chance to stand out here. |
Sunday Night Football | I’m expecting an OT thriller in the first edition of SNF this year. QB Jared Goff will be under center in a pass heavy offense that outplays the Cowboys secondary and makes this one close. But QB Dak Prescott will rely on what’s arguably the best WR trio in the league alongside RB Ezekiel Elliott as he leads the Cowboys to last minute victory. |
Monday Night Football | This could be tough for the Giants as Pittsburgh has one of the best defenses in the league. But the Giants defense has also improved, and I expect them to slow down RB James Conner and make things difficult for QB Ben Roethlisberger in his return. This could go either way, but I have New York pulling off an upset in overtime. |
Monday Night Football | I think the Broncos will shut down QB Ryan Tannehill and make it hard for the Titans offense to put up much. But RB Derrick Henry will just be too much for Denver, allowing the Titans to stay in this game. Denver’s offense will take time to click after all the new additions, but I think RB Melvin Gordon and rookie WR Jerry Jeudy will make a difference as the Broncos narrowly get by here. |
Which teams do you have winning this week? Comment with your thoughts.
Welcome to Part 5 of my NFL Draft Report Cards. Today, I’ll be kicking off my AFC draft reviews with the AFC East. The New England Patriots (my team) have dominated this division for years. But did they dominate the draft? What other AFC East teams thrived? Keep reading to see my Draft Report Card for each team, including a grade for each pick as well as my final grades. As I post more articles, I will also include links to the rest of my draft grades.
AFC North
AFC South
AFC West
 New York JetsThe Jets may have reached for a couple players and they did struggle to fill all of their needs with six picks. But for the amount of picks they had, this was a pretty solid daft. I would’ve rather the Jets take Josh Allen over Quinnen Williams, as Allen is the better fit even though Williams is the better player. They did make up for it later though, as they drafted Jachai Polite and Blake Cashman. I also really liked the selection of Chuma Edoga, an underrated player at a position of need for the Jets. The Jets opted to wait on a tight end and a corner, and when they finally drafted them, it was a reach. They also failed to fill needs at center and receiver. But the Jets did the best they could and finished with a strong draft class.
 New England PatriotsI wrote a more in-depth Patriots draft review in a separate article.  Check it out!
 Buffalo BillsThe Bills made some very confusing picks, but they also drafted some quality players in between.  They did fill all their biggest needs early, as they didn’t really have many.  They earned a steal by drafting T Cody Ford in the 2nd.  They also drafted a strong TE, Dawson Knox and an OLB, Vosean Joseph in later rounds to fill their other two needs.  They did draft another TE later, but this pick was an unnecessary reach alongside some others.  I also don’t get why they took DT Ed Oliver at #9 when they didn’t need a DT and good o-linemen were available.  It was good that the Bills took a young RB, but the backfield is way to crowded for it, and Round 3 was early for Singletary.  Otherwise, I didn’t mind this draft too much.
 Miami DolphinsMost of these picks were understandable, but the Dolphins had better options.  It wasn’t easy for Miami in this draft, as they had a lot of needs to fill as they rebuild and they didn’t have many picks to do so.  The rebuilding will need to continue over the next couple years.  Most of these picks filled needs, so that helps Miami’s case.  But a couple of them were reaches, especially the selection of Auburn RB Chandler Cox.  In addition, the Dolphins didn’t really make a point to priorities their biggest of needs.  But overall, I didn’t mind this draft class, but this is only the beginning of a long rebuild for the Fins.
That’s all for this portion of my Draft Grades. Stay tuned for my reviews of the rest of the AFC. I’ll be reviewing the AFC North yet, where I feel 1 team highlighted this year’s draft. Which team is it? Find out in my next post.
Welcome to my 1st of several Super Bowl LIII Preview articles. The match-up is set, the teams are in Atlanta for Opening Night, and today I will be looking at how the Patriots and Rams got here and taking a first look at the match-up. What can we expect from this year’s big game? Keep reading to find out what I think. You can also check out my entire Super Bowl LIII preview schedule below. I will be posting preview articles throughout the week as festivities in Atlanta take place.
January 27 or 28:Â Super Bowl LIII: How They Got Here
January 28 or 29:Â The Case for the Patriots: How They Can Win, Keys to the Game
January 29 or 30:Â The Case for the Rams: How They Can Win, Keys to the Game
January 30 or 31: Super Bowl LIII Fast Facts and Their Significance
January 31 or February 1: Super Bowl LIII: Final Prediction, Projected Stats & MVP
February 1 or 2: Super Bowl LIII Video Preview
February 2 or 3: The Final Countdown: Final Injury Report, Outlook Before the Game (Including iMovie Trailer)
February 3:Â Enjoy the game and stay tuned for my recap after the game!
Patriots
The Patriots were off to a rough start this season, going 1-2 in their first three games without WR Julian Edelman. However, they brought in WR Josh Gordon to add back WR depth they’d lost in the off-season. Gordon thrived in his first game with the Pats, and when Edelman returned, they made for a dynamic duo that led the offense to dominate.
Though they started 7-2, they lost their third game in Tennessee before the bye as TE Rob Gronkowski sat out an extra game after an injury. After the bye, they did win a couple games, playing the Jets and Vikings. But after that their road struggles continued as they lost in Miami and in Pittsburgh. After 14 games, the Pats were 9-5, and they were at risk of missing out on a first round bye. They had the tiebreaker over the Texans, but the Texans were 10-4 at this point. The Pats needed to win one more game than Houston.
It wasn’t a good sign when WR Josh Gordon was suspended indefinitely once again for marijuana, but the Pats took care of the Bills and Jets easily in New England. They nearly shut out the Jets in Week 17! They did grab hold of the first round bye, but the question was, were these blowouts against the league’s worst a fluke, or were the Pats legitimate Super Bowl contenders?
The fans’ doubts were silenced when the Patriots dominated their Divisional Round match-up, hosting the Chargers. They would head to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs in the AFC title game. This was bound to be a close one, especially because the Patriots lost the last time they had played on the road. They were off to a strong start, but they began to fall behind late in the game.
With two minutes to go, it was 28-24 Chiefs. The Pats had the ball in what was still a one possession game. They marched down the field and Burkhead scored the TD, but they scored a little too fast. They left enough time for the Chiefs to add a field goal to tie it up at 31-31 and force overtime.
After that the Patriots won the toss, and though it was a nail biter with many close calls and 3rd downs, the Pats made their way down the field for the TD, winning the game 37-31! This was Brady’s third OT victory in a postseason game, making him the first player to do so. This was also the first time two playoff games had gone into overtime in one day.
You can read more about the AFC Championship at the link below:
Back to their Roots: Pats Dynasty Continues after OT Thriller
The Patriots are now headed to their 4th Super Bowl in 5 years, as Brady looks to ‘Blitz for Six’ and Gronk looks to potentially end his career with a bang. The best part is, as intriguing as a Brady vs. Drew Brees match-up would be, they’re playing the Los Angeles Rams, taking the Brady-Belichick dynasty back to their roots. Back in 2001, Brady led the Patriots to their first Super Bowl victory over the QB Kurt Warner-led St. Louis (now Los Angeles) Rams. You could also compare that victory to this year’s AFC Championship when Brady and co. took down QB Patrick Mahomes II and an explosive Chiefs offense after coming in as 3 point underdogs.
Rams
The last time the Rams won the NFC was back in 2001, when QB Kurt Warner led an offense known as ‘The Greatest Show on Turf’ to their second Super Bowl in three years. They would face QB Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. Though they had won in 1999, they could not get past Brady and Belichick, who won their first championship together and started a legendary dynasty. 17 years later, the Rams will seek revenge.
After Warner left St. Louis, things were ugly for the Rams for much of the 2000s. But in 2015, they began rebuilding, drafting star RB Todd Gurley in 2015, trading up in 2016 to draft the QB of their future: Jared Goff, firing head coach Jeff Fisher, and hiring the young Sean McVay to replace Fisher. To top off their rebuild, they moved back to Los Angeles as they seeked a culture change heading in to the second half of the 2010s.
In 2017, Goff, Gurley, and McVay led the team back to the playoffs with help from a star-studded defense led by DT Aaron Donald. However, as the #3 seed, they lost on Wild Card Weekend. The 2017-18 off-season was a busy one for the Rams. The Rams made it clear they wanted to win now, exchanging WR Sammy Watkins, TE Lance Kendricks, DE Robert Quinn, OLB Alec Ogletree, and CB Trumaine Johnson for WR Brandin Cooks, DT Ndamukong Suh, CB Marcus Peters, CB Aqib Talib, and CB Sam Shields. Later in the season, they added RB C.J. Anderson and pass rusher Dante Fowler Jr. as well. They now had one of the best secondaries in the league, Gurley and Anderson made for a dominant RB duo, and WRs Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods broke out, giving Goff a WR trio for most of the season. Kupp has since torn his ACL and ended his season, but the Rams dominated in all aspects for most of the season.
After starting 8-0, the Rams headed to New Orleans, where they lost their first game in a shootout. The Rams lost WR Cooper Kupp the next game despite a win. Without Kupp, they weren’t as dominant, going 4-2. But they took care of business against the Cowboys, winning 30-22. They would travel to New Orleans once again for the NFC Championship.
They were trailing for most of the game as expected, but they came back to tie it up at 20. The Saints were going for one last drive. When QB Drew Brees threw it to WR Tommylee Lewis, he was hoping for a first down. However, the pass was broken up on a hard hit by CB Nickell Robey-Coleman. I am not alone in my belief that the play by Robey-Coleman was blatant pass interference. But the refs didn’t call it. The Saints made the field goal. But the Rams had time to respond with a field goal of their own.
The game went to overtime, and New Orleans won the toss. But after S John Johnson picked off QB Drew Brees, the Rams drove down the field, kicked another field goal, and won the game, 26-23. Saints fans were heartbroken. But the Rams were ecstatic – they had won the NFC for the first time in 17 years. This was only their third Super Bowl appearance, the other two coming during the ‘Greatest Show on Turf’ era.
Championship weekend and the weeks leading up to it were very exciting. But moving on to the Super Bowl, the Rams will take on the Patriots in just 6 days. Who will come out on top? Keep reading to hear my initial take on the match-up.
This is definitely going to be close. The Pats aren’t coming off a great season by Brady-Belichick standards. They went 11-5 for the first time since 2009, and the first time since their run of seven straight AFC Championships (now eight) began. But the Pats have dominated offensively in each of their last 4 games, and they have motivation going on as QB Tom Brady looks to win his sixth ring and TE Rob Gronkowski looks to potentially end his career with one more. Until this year, Gronk had been spoiled year after year with records of 12-4 or higher. Despite a rough regular season, the Pats will look to make up for it with another Super Bowl victory (which would be Gronk’s third). To get past a difficult Rams defense, they’ll have to use a large variety of plays to try and fake them out. If they are as strong offensively as they have been in the last 4 games, they should be capable of winning this. But the Rams’ D might be the toughest New England has faced since their latest win streak.
Coming off a first round playoff exit and a busy off-season that got fans excited, the Rams went 13-3 and earned the #2 seed in the NFC behind only the New Orleans Saints (who they lost to). After being ‘overthrown’ by Brady-Belichick dynasty in 2001, they will look to dethrone the Pats in their return to the Super Bowl. In order to do so, not only will they need QB Jared Goff and the RB duo of Gurley and Anderson to step it up, they’ll need the entire offense around Goff and Gurley to thrive against a mediocre New England defense.
Who will win Super Bowl LIII? What is the game plan for each team? What Super Bowl and season-long stats will burden, encourage and/or influence each team? Find out this week as I release more articles each day.
Welcome to my Week 15 NFL Picks and Previews.  Last week was a rough week, as I went 6-10, putting my overall record at 115-92-2 (117-93-2 including TNF and Saturday).  I am still only ahead of 1 expert (Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports). This week, many teams have a chance to lock up playoff spots, but will all of the current contenders keep rolling this week, or will some fall behind as other teams rise?  The Patriots take on the Steelers, and the Saints play the Panthers in Carolina, so there’s bound to be a couple teams knocked out of contention.  Pittsburgh, who’s already just 7-5-1, faces not only New England but also the Saints on their remaining schedule. This could open the door for the Ravens and Browns in the AFC North. Keep reading to find out what I think, and feel free to comment with your thoughts.
Lock of the Week
The Redskins won’t be able to do much offensively with Mark Sanchez and Josh Johnson as their QBs. Â The Jags may have struggled this season, but their defense is still easily top 10 in the NFL. This will open the door for young QB Cody Kessler and the Jaguars to put up a strong offensive game in a blowout win. Â The Redskins defense will lack motivation considering how badly the offense is doing, allowing Kessler to toss multiple TD and the Jacksonville run game to dominate.
Upset of the Week
Seattle has been strong at home this season with a 5-2 record.  But on the road, they are a measly 3-3. We’ve seen what Niners QB Nick Mullens is capable of.  Against an inexperienced Seahawks defense, I could see Mullens having a big game and leading San Francisco to pull off an upset.  The Niners run game will struggle though, since RB Matt Breida is not 100%. Seattle should have a decent game offensively, but they won’t be able to compete with Mullens’ dominance, and QB Russell Wilson will struggle to connect with any WR who isn’t named Tyler Lockett.  Mullens will prove that although he’s not the future of the Niners, he is a capable QB who can handle the weaker defenses in the league with ease.
The Other Games
| TNF (Posted to Twitter Thursday Night; Actual Score: 29-28 Chargers)
|
Look for QB Philip Rivers and his receivers to lead the Chargers past the weak Kansas City defense in a close, overtime game.  The Chiefs should also look very strong on offense, but they won’t be up to full speed without RB Kareem Hunt and WR Sammy Watkins.  This and the defensive struggles will cost the Chiefs late in the game. |
| Saturday, 4:30 PM EST (Posted to Twitter Saturday; Actual Score: 29-22 Texans)
|
Expect QB Sam Darnold and the Jets to put up a relatively strong game, even against the tough Houston defense.  But QB Deshaun Watson and the Texans will get by as the Jets are still held under 20. The return of RB Dont’a Foreman will boost the Texans’ offensive performance in the road victory. |
| Saturday, 8:20 PM EST (Posted to Twitter Saturday; Actual Score: 17-16 Browns)
|
Look for the Broncos to win at home in a low scoring game. Â The Browns will struggle against a tough Broncos defense in Denver despite a stronger offensive season. Â The strong defense as well as a big game from the Broncos RBs will lead the Broncos in their victory. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
|
Led by the WR duo of Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs, expect the Vikings to secure a victory at home after losing 2 in a row. Â The Vikes defense will help their case as well, but the Dolphins will make this closer than you think. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
|
Look for QB Josh Allen to lead the Bills to a home victory, taking advantage of his running abilities with RB LeSean McCoy out and RB Chris Ivory banged-up. Â The Lions will look better offensively than they have been lately, but the Bills defense will prevent Detroit from providing a serious challenge. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
|
QB Lamar Jackson will prove himself as Baltimore’s starting QB here, leading the Ravens to victory at home.  The Ravens D will also have a strong game, holding Tampa under 15. The Bucs offense will lack the energy it usually has in the loss, making the Ravens D’s job easier.  |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
|
Look for QB Jeff Driskel and his offense to outperform their expectations against the young Oakland defense.  Cincy’s run game will help, as Joe Mixon has 100+ yards rushing. But Driskel will still throw multiple TDs in the victory.  Meanwhile, Oakland will be held to just 1 TD, as QB Derek Carr has a hard time relying on his WRs, instead relying on TE Jared Cook.  |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
|
QB Marcus Mariota should be able to find his receivers despite lacking WR depth, as the Giants defense struggles to contain Mariota’s receivers without S Landon Collins (injured) and CB Eli Apple (traded).  The Giants will fall short as the defense struggles and QB Eli Manning throws throws more picks than he throws TDs. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
|
The Colts offense should be alright against the young Dallas D. Â However, QB Dak Prescott and the Cowboys will continue to dominate against the weak Colts defense. Â Strong games by WR Amari Cooper and RB Ezekiel Elliott will lead them to victory. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
|
Look for DE Khalil Mack and the Bears defense to dominate against a Packers team that lacks talent outside of QB Aaron Rodgers. Â This will allow QB Mitch Trubisky and the Bears to thrive, winning easily with the help of a strong game by their RB duo. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
|
Look for QB Matt Ryan and his receivers to dominate against the struggling Arizona defense.  The Cardinals will also put up an underwhelming performance on offense, as QB Josh Rosen struggles to find his receivers without WR Christian Kirk, even against the weak Falcons D.  The Cardinals will fall short after Atlanta’s much better offensive game. |
| Sunday, 4:25 PM EST
Check back closer to kickoff for a video preview! |
The Pats will get by in Pittsburgh, but QB Tom Brady will still struggle to connect with his receivers on the road.  The Steelers offense will struggle as well and their run game won’t be able to do much of anything without RB James Conner.  |
| Sunday, 8:20 PM EST
|
QB Jared Goff and the Rams will look good against the depleted Eagles defense, even if they aren’t at their best.  But it’s LA’s defense that will lead the Rams to victory. The Rams defense will shut down a Philly offense that can be explosive at times. |
| Monday, 8:15 PM EST
|
The Saints should be able to get by on the road, even against Carolina. Â New Orleans will not be at full strength in their third straight road game, especially after losing their momentum in an all out embarrassing loss to Dallas. Â The Panthers defense will hold them back, but QB Drew Brees and WR Michael Thomas will lead the Saints to victory. QB Cam Newton and his offense will make it close in primetime, but it will not be enough. |
That’s all for this week.  Stay tuned for more posts soon.
Welcome to my Week 12 NFL Picks and Previews.  On Thanksgiving Day, I went 3-0, putting my overall record at 88-74-2.  However, I am still only ahead of 1 expert from CBS Sports, and none from ESPN.  This week, I think we will see the biggest contenders besides the Rams and Chiefs (who both take a bye after last week’s shootout) will rise to the top with victories this week.  Meanwhile, teams that had snuck into the playoff picture despite an underwhelming season will fall. With the playoffs approaching, this week it will begin to become clear who’s really here to stay.
Lock of the Week
Look for the Panthers to shut down Seattle’s run game here.  This will put a lot on QB Russell Wilson and his receivers, and I don’t think they’ll put up enough for Seattle to make this close in Carolina.  They will fail to step it up in the place of the run game. Meanwhile, QB Cam Newton and his receivers will be all over the Seahawks’ young secondary as Carolina dominates in a blowout victory.
Upset of the Week
The return of QB Ryan Tannehill will give the Dolphins offense a big boost.  Expect Tannehill to throw multiple TDs and shock the Colts in Indy. The Colts will make it close thanks to dominance by the combo of QB Andrew Luck and WR T.Y. Hilton.  But the Colts will fall short against Miami’s revamped offense, and the weak defensive game will not help matters.
The Other Games
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
|
Expect the Jets young, but underrated defense to limit the abilities of QB Tom Brady and his offense. Â But the Patriots should find a way to score in New York. Meanwhile, Jets QB Josh McCown will struggle regressively against an improved New England defense. Â This will lead to a Patriots blowout victory. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
|
The Jaguars D will get back on task in Buffalo, holding QB Josh Allen and the Bills to just 1 TD. Â Meanwhile, QB Blake Bortles will improve against a mediocre Bills defense, throwing 2+ TD. This will lead to a Jaguars road win in a surprisingly easy game. Â |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
|
QB Lamar Jackson will thrive again here, utilizing Baltimore’s strong run game and tossing multiple TD.  The Ravens will struggle to win the turnover battle against an Oakland D that has forced a surprising number of turnovers.  But the Ravens will come out on top after a very strong offensive game and another clutch defensive performance. Expect the Ravens to hold the new-look Raiders offense under 20 in the victory. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
|
Look for QB Andy Dalton and his receivers to find a way here without WR A.J. Green.  The Browns offense will look alright, but I don’t see it being enough against the stingy Bengals D.  This will allow Cincy to prevail despite an underwhelming offensive game. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
|
Expect a big game from QB Carson Wentz as he throws 3 TD against a washed-up Giants D.  Giants QB Eli Manning should continue his multi-TD game streak here and look better than usual.  But it won’t be enough against the high-powered Philly offense. The Eagles’ hopes of winning the division will be restored in this divisional victory. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
|
Look for the Bucs to catch a break at home against the Jimmy Garoppolo-less Niners.  The Tampa Bay run game could look surprisingly strong against San Francisco’s young defense.  If not, QB Jameis Winston will perform better than QB Ryan Fitzpatrick did. It won’t be perfection, but it would be enough for the Bucs victory.  QB Nick Mullens and his receivers will make this close against a struggling Bucs D, but it won’t be enough against the strong Buccaneers offense. |
| Sunday, 4:05 PM EST
|
Look for a surprisingly low scoring game here despite a battle of two strong offenses. Â Both defenses will thrive in the red zone, as only 4 total TDs are scored in 10+ opportunities. Â QB Josh Rosen and RB David Johnson will lead a strong Arizona offense, but expect them to fall short against QB Philip Rivers and the high-powered Chargers offense. |
| Sunday, 4:25 PM EST
|
The Denver offense may struggle after the Demaryius Thomas trade.  But the Broncos defense will make up for it, silencing Pittsburgh’s typically dominant offense by holding them TD-less in Denver.  The Steelers will continue to miss RB Le’Veon Bell after a tough loss in Denver. |
| Sunday, 8:20 PM EST
|
Against a strong Vikes secondary, QB Aaron Rodgers will struggle to find his receivers, especially with TE Jimmy Graham injured. Â Expect a Vikings victory thanks to the strong defense as well as a strong, multi-TD game by QB Kirk Cousins. This will cause the Packers to begin worrying that their wrath in the NFC North is over. |
| Monday, 8:15 PM EST
|
Expect QB Deshaun Watson to utilize his newfound WR duo in a home victory.  The young Tennessee defense will do a good job imitating Houston’s shut down D, but they won’t quite get up to Houston’s level.  The Texans will come out victorious in primetime as they play complimentary football. |
That’s all for my picks this week.  Stay tuned for more posts soon, including Part 2 of my MLB free agency predictions.
Welcome to my Week 4 NFL picks and previews.  It was a rough week for me last week, as I finished 6-10. But luckily, I’m still 27-19-2 (28-19-2 including TNF Week 4) due to my strong week in Week 2.  I’m still ahead of 9 of ESPN’s 10 experts, and half of CBS Sports’ 8 experts. There have been a lot of surprises in the NFL so far this year. Unexpected contenders have emerged, and what were perceived as some of the NFL’s best teams are struggling to keep up.  I definitely think this week will set some things straight. Some of the expected contenders will start to surpass the surprise teams. The question is, which surprise teams come down to earth first? Keep reading to find out what I think.
Lock of the Week
QB Sam Darnold and the Jets offense looked good in the first couple weeks.  But this offense is still very young and has things to learn. I expect this dominant Jaguars defense to tear apart New York’s offensive game plan.  The pressure of Sacksonville will get to Darnold, which will mess up the entire offensive scheme for the Jets. The Jaguars offense doesn’t have to have a field day to win a game, and they’ve made that very clear.  RB Leonard Fournette will likely return this week. They had been fine without him, at home against the Patriots! Given that, this home game against the Jets with Fournette back should be a clinic in Jacksonville’s favor. Â
Upset of the Week
QB Sam Bradford had clearly declined, and after two weeks, all Cardinals fans knew Bradford wasn’t the answer.  But Steve Wilks has finally put QB Josh Rosen in as the starter! Rosen was my favorite QB of this year’s draft, and I expect him to completely turn around the Cardinals offense this week.  I don’t expect this kind of consistency throughout the year in 2018. But this will give us a glimpse at what the Cardinals invested in down the road, kind of like what the Jets received from QB Sam Darnold in his first game.  I think Rosen can handle the rebuilding Seattle defense on his home turf. Look for Arizona’s tight ends to have an especially strong game as well. Meanwhile, the Seattle defense will struggle to contain Rosen and RB David Johnson.  Their offense will see slight improvement with WR Doug Baldwin likely to return, but nothing significant as Arizona pulls off the upset at home.
The Other Games
| TNF (Posted on Twitter Thursday Night, Actual Score: 38-31 Rams)
|
Don’t expect an especially strong game from WRs Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs. This Rams secondary is one of the league’s best.  However, the ground game will lead the way for the Vikes and make this close. Look for QB Jared Goff and RB Todd Gurley to lead the Rams to victory with the help of strong defense. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
|
Look for Miami’s receivers to thrive against a New England secondary that lacks a #2 corner. #1 CB Stephon Gilmore will shut down WR DeVante Parker though. However, this Dolphins run game is not the greatest, and if the Pats can shut them down, there is hope for the New England D.  I don’t think the Pats suck. Their last two Super Bowl-winning seasons started with 2 wins and 2 losses. Plus, they lost to a coach who knows them really well and their toughest opponent.  I think QB Tom Brady will find open men to lead New England to victory here. This victory that will begin a long winning streak for the Pats. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
|
The Packers are a pass-first offense, and I don’t think the Bills will be able to keep them under control without CB Vontae Davis.  I don’t see this as a blowout though. QB Josh Allen and the Bills offense will make it close. But Green Bay will win at home by a comfortable margin, led by a dominant passing game. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
|
Look for QB Matt Ryan and his newfound WR duo to overwhelm the Bengals secondary and score multiple TDs.  I don’t think the Bengals will be as strong on offense here without RB Joe Mixon. They will lose this one thanks to surprisingly strong defense by Atlanta. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
|
I think the Texans will do alright against the weak Colts defense in an effort for their first win.  But depth has been a problem for this team from the start, and that will hinder their success. The Colts will give the Texans a scare. This will be thanks to a pretty good week by QB Andrew Luck and his offense, even against the fierce Houston D. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
|
WR Rishard Matthews was released by the Titans this week. Now, the Titans lack a healthy QB and lack WR depth. That will cause the offense regressive struggles.  The Eagles defense will also do their job in shutting down Tennessee’s RB duo. QB Carson Wentz and the Eagles offense will cruise to victory, especially if WR Alshon Jeffery plays.  |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
|
Expect an offensive shootout here. Both these defenses are some of the league’s worst, and I think both these offenses are underrated.  The Cowboys pass defense will struggle excessively against the LIons strong WR corps. However, I think QB Dak Prescott will finally turn it around against the struggling Detroit D.  This will lead them to a home win. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
|
I think the Bucs will start QB Ryan Fitzpatrick in this game.  Look for the Fitzmagic to continue, but will it be enough for the Bucs in Chicago? I’m concerned that Tampa’s secondary will blow it for them against QB Mitch Trubisky and the Bears underrated WR corps.  I also feel that the Bucs young run game will struggle against Khalil Mack and the Bears run defense. These two things will lead Chicago to victory at home. |
| Sunday, 4:05 PM EST
|
QB Baker Mayfield will lead the Browns to another strong offensive game here against a declining Raiders D.  But you cannot sleep on these Raiders receivers. Against a young Cleveland defense, expect QB Derek Carr and the Raiders deep WR corps to dominate.  I also expect a strong game from Oakland’s running backs that assist Carr in an offensive shootout victory. |
| Sunday, 4:25 PM EST
|
The 49ers will miss QB Jimmy Garoppolo here.  QB C.J. Beathard will do alright in LA, but he will be nowhere near Garoppolo’s level.  I don’t see him finishing the job for the Niners. Meanwhile, the Chargers offense will have a strong day against the 49ers young D.  QB Philip Rivers, RB Melvin Gordon, and the strong offense will lead LA to victory. |
| Sunday, 4:25 PM EST
|
QB Eli Manning and his receivers should do alright against a Saints defense that has significantly declined since last year. Â But they will miss TE Evan Engram. Meanwhile, RB Alvin Kamara and WR Michael Thomas will have dominant games that lead the Saints to victory despite an underwhelming game by QB Drew Brees. |
| SNF (Sunday, 8:20 PM EST)
|
The Steelers may be declining without RB Le’Veon Bell, but they are still an average team that can win some games without him.  I think the Steelers defense will be able to shut down the Ravens attack. Plus, QB Ben Roethlisberger will find plenty of weapons to lead Pittsburgh to victory, even without Bell. |
| MNF (Monday, 8:15 PM EST) (OT)
|
This will be a very close game.  QB Patrick Mahomes II will lead a strong Chiefs offense to a big game.  But the Chiefs are all offense, no defense, and they will struggle to contain Denver’s receivers.  I could see this going to overtime, but I don’t see the Chiefs winning with their run game struggling against the unstoppable Denver front seven. |
That’s all for my Week 4 picks and previews.  Feel free to comment with your thoughts.
Welcome to my NFL Week 3 picks and previews.  I had a great week last week, finishing 12-3-1, That brings my overall record to 21-9-2, better than any ESPN or CBS Sports expert besides Pete Prisco.  If I told you who the current 2-0 teams were before the season started, most of you would be shocked. The Dolphins? The Bengals? The Chiefs?
According to NFL Network, 2-0 teams make the playoffs 64% of the time. Â But those odds go up to 75% if they become 3-0. So as NFL Network put it, this is a big week for those 2-0 teams. Â Which of them are contenders, and which are pretenders? We will likely get a glimpse at that this week.
Lock of the Week
I know a lot of you think the Vikings are going to blow out the Bills, but it’s hard to imagine any team blowing out another without their star running back (still see the Vikes winning though).  With RB Dalvin Cook out, this becomes the biggest lock in my eyes. The Chiefs defense isn’t anything special, but I think they’ll keep QB Jimmy Garoppolo’s young receivers covered, leaving Garoppolo scrambling to find an open man.  Meanwhile, I cannot see the 49ers defense stopping QB Patrick Mahomes II. Expect Mahomes to toss a few more touchdowns and lead the Chiefs offense to dominate. RB Kareem Hunt will also have a strong game.
Upset of the Week
The Ravens were topped easily by the Bengals last week, and I see Cincy as a pretender who’s just riding an easy schedule to a winning record.  So, I don’t think the Ravens will be able to do much against this shut down Denver D, even at home. I think the No-Fly Zone will be back up to full speed this week against QB Joe Flacco’s mediocre receivers.  I think the Ravens defense will have a strong game as well, leaving QB Case Keenum with less open men and less TD opportunities than he had in the last two games. But I do think Keenum and the Broncos will find a way to pull off the upset in Baltimore.
The Other Games
| TNF (Posted to Twitter on Thursday Night; Actual Score: 21-17 Browns)
|
The Browns might be without WR Josh Gordon, but they’ll find creative ways to score as their running backs lead the way. Expect the Jets defense to shut down Cleveland’s receivers for a good portion of the game. But look for TE David Njoku to shine.  The Jets will make it close with strong offense of their own, but I don’t see it being enough as the Browns young offense finds a way. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
|
I’m a little worried about the Raider defense in this game, but I think QB Derek Carr will find open men, taking advantage of Miami’s weakness, their defense.  Look for QB Ryan Tannehill to have a strong game as well, but I don’t think the Dolphins are as good as advertised, and Carr will lead the Raiders to pull the upset. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
|
This Bills offense has not been able to get into a groove yet this year, and you can expect more of the same in Minnesota. Â QB Kirk Cousins and his receivers will lead the way for Minnesota with the help of dominant defense. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
|
The Bengals defense will play a factor here, minimalizing what the Panthers offense can put up.  Carolina’s run game will struggle, and Cam Newton will be held to one TD as his receivers are well covered.  Meanwhile, I expect QB Andy Dalton and his receivers to have a pretty strong game. But I see the Panthers defense completely shutting down the Joe Mixon-less Bengals run game and leading Carolina to victory. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
|
Expect a stellar performance by Houston’s receivers against a banged up New York secondary and a dominant game by QB Deshaun Watson against a below average Giants defensive front.  I think the Giants will take the early lead, but the Texans dominant D will shut them down as Houston comes back. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
|
Look for the Jaguars offense to be limited by a somewhat strong Titans D.  But this is Sacksonville, and QB Blaine Gabbert will be their next victim. Expect the Jags D to dominate, holding Tennessee under 10. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
|
QB Carson Wentz is back, but with RB Jay Ajayi and WRs Alshon Jeffery and Mike Wallace hurt, he doesn’t have much left around him.  So I don’t expect an all out domination. Expect the Colts to have a decent offensive day against the young Eagles secondary. But I think Wentz and the Eagles will be able to squeeze by. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
|
Look for the Redskins to have a strong offensive day, but I think strong red zone D by Green Bay will hold them up here. Â Meanwhile, expect the Packers to hold the lead for most of the game as Aaron Rodgers tosses multiple TDs and looks a little more mobile in recovery from his knee injury. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST (OT)
|
Look for the Saints to grab an early lead here, led by RB Alvin Kamara and WR Michael Thomas.  But I think they’ll slow down, and strong WR play by Atlanta plus sloppy defense by New Orleans will lead to a Falcons comeback in overtime. |
| Sunday, 4:05 PM EST
|
Look for a spot-on game by the Rams entire defense, as they will shut down a high-powered Chargers offense.  I don’t think QB Jared Goff and his offense will look all that great, but they’ll come out victorious thanks to the defense stepping it up. |
| Sunday, 4:25 PM EST
|
I think Seattle’s offense will look alright here, but they’ll begin to miss WR Doug Baldwin.  Meanwhile, their declining defense will blow it as QB Dak Prescott and his receivers dominate. |
| Sunday, 4:25 PM EST (OT)
|
The hollers for QB Josh Rosen to take over will just get louder this week as QB Sam Bradford blows it in overtime.  I honestly think the Cardinals would be so much better off right now if they had started Rosen. Chicago’s defense, receivers, and backs will all show promise as Arizona looks better, but can’t pull off a victory at home.  |
| Sunday, 8:30 PM EST
Check back for a video preview closer to game time! |
Expect an offensive shootout here, as both QB Tom Brady and QB Matthew Stafford toss multiple TD.  Meanwhile, the Lions defense will struggle regressively as the Pats score 5 TD. However, New England’s defense will be overwhelmed by Detroit’s offensive depth, and they won’t look much better despite a New England victory. |
| Monday, 8:30 PM EST
|
Look for the Bucs to have another strong offensive game and get creative in scoring situations as Pittsburgh’s D tries to limit them.  But I think the Steelers will fall short again without RB Le’Veon Bell, making WR Antonio Brown more fed up with this team. |
That’s all for my picks for this week.  Comment with your thoughts, and stay tuned for more posts soon.
Welcome to my first NFL Draft Report Card article of 2018. I have given a grade to every pick of the 2018 NFL Draft and compiled the grades onto 32 report cards, one per team. I averaged all the grades on each team to determine my final grade for each team’s NFL Draft. To avoid overly long articles, I have split it into eight parts, one for each NFL division. Let’s start with the AFC East, the home of the New England Patriots.
AFC East                               NFC East
AFC North                              NFC North
AFC South                              NFC South
AFC West                               NFC West
Grade: B
What They Did Right: The Dolphins started off the draft on a strong note. Rather than trading up for a QB of the future that they do not need quite yet, they took Minkah Fitzpatrick, a versatile defensive back who fits well into a Dolphins secondary that needs significant help. This was a big steal by the Dolphins, and it’s not the first time they have done this. They took T Laremy Tunsil, originally the projected No. 1 pick after he slid in the 2016 NFL Draft. They also did a good job filling their needs early on, taking a strong pair of tight ends, a defensive back, a young RB, and a linebacker.
What They Did Wrong: They made some reaches in the later rounds, and they took a second linebacker, TE, and cornerback when they could have used some offensive line help. But there are no fatal flaws here. The Dolphins arguably had the best draft in the AFC East.
Grade: B
What They Did Right: The Bills had a spectacular Day 1. They took two grade-A prospects in Round 1, making smart trades to put themselves in position to get what they needed. Josh Allen has very high potential, and he will definitely compete for the starting job. Tremaine Edmunds brings much-needed help to the linebacking corps on the outside and on the inside. They got a steal in Edmunds with the 16th pick. They also had two other quality steals. They took DT Harrison Phillips after he nearly fell to Round 3. They do not really need a DT, but Phillips was a valuable pick for the Bills at this point in the draft. They also scored a steal in G Wyatt Teller. Not only was Teller projected to be drafted much earlier, but he fills the hole that Richie Incognito left behind. Teller has the chance to compete for a starting job and thrive in one across from fellow Bills linemen John Miller and Vladimir Ducasse. They topped off their strong draft with a couple of good wide receivers in the late rounds.
What They Did Wrong: The Bills already had what is emerging as one of the league’s premier secondaries. Yet they drafted not just one, but two defensive backs. In the meantime, they failed to fill some of their more important needs like tackle and linebacker (they could have still used another prospect there after Edmunds). Despite many steals, they also took a couple guys too early, and they could’ve done a better job addressing their current needs.
Grade: B-
What They Did Right: The Patriots addressed all of their major needs despite many trades down. They ended up with nine total draft picks and they used them wisely. They eventually selected a QB, RB, WR, TE, offensive lineman, corner, and a linebacker. They started things off strong with two good players out of Georgia to address major needs. They also picked up a major steal in WR Braxton Berrios.
What They Did Wrong: The Pats may have waited too long for a QB, but reports say that they would have traded up if Baker Mayfield is available, which would not be the right strategy either. They could have also taken a linebacker or a tight end earlier. They had four picks in the first two rounds, and they used them on one T, one RB, one CB, and a trade down. I didn’t really see RB and CB as needs that were urgent enough to spend a first or second rounder on, and they did not need to trade down. Their grade gets a boost for addressing all their major needs, something no other AFC East team did in my eyes. But they waited too long for certain needs I saw as urgent.
Grade: C+
What They Did Right: The Jets started off strong by taking an NFL ready QB with the 3rd pick. I also liked the players they picked in the 3rd and 4th rounds. These two players addressed needs and are on my list of draft sleepers. But the Jets draft began to plummet from there. Day 3 did not end up looking so good for them.
What They Did Wrong: The Jets could have had a good draft if they continued to address their needs or take top available prospects in the later rounds. But they took CB Parry Nickerson when they did not need a corner, and took a running back I had never heard of when they were totally fine at running back. They have Isaiah Crowell and Bilal Powell to handle the backfield. I doubt the RB they drafted will ever make an NFL roster, let alone an NFL start. They also took another DT in Round 6 when they had already done enough to address the defensive line. If they were going to take two d-linemen, at least one of them should’ve been a defensive end, which is more of where the Jets need d-line help.
That’s all for Part 1 of my NFL Draft Report Cards. Stay tuned for more post-draft analysis soon.
Boston Sports Mania 